Some Favourite Things: Walking Offa's Dyke Path: Bigsweir Bridge to Hendre to Llangattock Lingoed

Tuesday, June 19, 2018

Walking Offa's Dyke Path: Bigsweir Bridge to Hendre to Llangattock Lingoed

The walk along Offa's Dyke Path is no easy stroll. With the ascents and descents in the course of an average day's walk, a hiker climbs the equivalent of a significant mountain. The Guidebook to Offa's Dyke Path tells us that a person walking the entire route will have climbed almost the same as an ascent of Mount Everest.

Then there are the hundreds of stiles to navigate, although admittedly many stiles are being replaced with walker-friendly kissing gates.

In the interests of full disclosure, I must admit here that I did not walk the entire Path: on Sunday, May 27 there were thunderstorms forecasted and they began at dawn on that day, so I made the decision to stay safe at a lower altitude and rode with my suitcase in the taxi to the next B and B. "Very sensible", everyone said. I spent that afternoon watching one thunderstorm after another roll through and congratulated myself that I was not crouched trembling under who knows what on the top of the moor. We heard later that the storms unleashed vast amounts of rain on Wales and west England - Welshpool and Birmingham had significant flooding - and the walkers that did brave the elements attested to the fact that it was pretty scary and uncomfortable.

I also admit that many of the climbs I found very difficult: that road up from Redbrook, the climb up to Hatterall Ridge, the climb up Castell Dinas Bran, the Path up Moel Famau and the rest of the moels, and the unexpected climb on the last day up the Prestatyn Hillside - these were some of the ones that stand out in my mind but there were certainly other times when I wondered why I ever thought I could walk such a difficult Path. Of course, once you arrive at the top, the mind (my mind, anyway) erases most of the negativity and relishes the moment.

The terrain along the Path is varied: spectacular limestone cliffs of the lower Wye Valley, rolling farmlands of the Monnow and Trothy Valleys, and the spectacular hills of the Black Mountains. Then there are the forests and peaty moorlands near Llandegla, the barren moors of the Clwydian Hills and of course, the sands of both the Bristol Channel and the beach at Prestatyn. The variety of the terrain is one of the most enjoyable aspects of the walk.

There are agricultural fields, livestock pastures, sheep, cattle, ponies, wildlife, birds, wildflowers, massive and magnificent ancient trees and more sheep. There are occasional canals, rivers, waterfalls, castles and ruined abbeys. The Welsh landscape has not been overtaken by commercial interests and (take careful note, Ontario) there is no litter to be found. There is a constant sound of baa-ing and the drone of insects. Occasionally traffic - cars and planes - can be heard and at higher altitudes, the wind can be noisy. Once I heard and saw a glider. Overall there is a peaceful calm which is very enjoyable.